Government moves to postpone PC Elections

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]The Sri Lankan Government is reported to have approached the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), to get it's support to postpone the forthcoming Provincial Council (PC) elections for another year, said sources close to the UNP.

The elections for five Provincial Councils are scheduled for August.

The Government has reportedly told the UNP that, it will not be possible to withdraw troops from the Jeyasikurui forward areas to take part in the security arrangements related to the elections, as the troops are engaged in fierce battle to capture the strategic town of Mankulam.

Members of the governing Peoples Alliance (PA) are reported to have discussed the issue with the opposition leader Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe yesterday, the sources said.

However, the opposition leader who declined to comment on the request, told the PA members that the matter has to be discussed at the UNP Working Committee meeting.

Meanwhile, UNP sources confirmed this morning that an urgent UNP Working Committee meeting has been called for today at 3.00 p.m. at the party office in Colombo.